Shoe and heel clamping apparatus



Jan. 13, 1942., F. L. BRANDT I SHOE AND HEEL CLAMPING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 29, 1939 Jan. 13, 1942. F, L. BRANDT SHOE AND HEEL CLAMPING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 29, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 13, 1942 SHOE AND HEEL CLAIVIPING APPARATUS Francis L. Brandt, Marblehead, Mass, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Borough of Flemington, N. .L, acorporation of New Jersey Application December 29, 1939, Serial No. 311,624

8 Claims. c1.12 1,25)

This invention relates to shoe and heel clamping apparatus which may be employed in either temporary or permanent attachment of heels to shoes by means of an adhesive, the function of the apparatus being to clamp and hold the heel tightly upon the shoe until the adhesive sets.

It is the object of the invention to improve such apparatus in respect to ease and speed of operation as well as uniformity and excellence in quality of the product.

With this object in view, the invention comprises several features of improvement among which is the combination with a support and a clamp having opposed relatively movable shoe and heel engaging members of movable means, for example a plunger, for exerting a thrust upon one of said members and mechanism for moving the thrust exerting means first rapidly into engagement with the work engaging member of the clamp and then more slowly and powerfully to cause said member to exert clamping pressure upon the work. In the illustrated apparatus means, comprising a hook member for automatically locking the clamp to the support, is arranged to be so operated by the thrust exerting plunger that the clamp is locked automatically to the support before the pressure is applied to close the clamp upon the work.

Another feature of the invention consists in a removable shoe and heel clamp which is constructed and arranged to maintain a follow-up pressure upon work which has been clamped therein under pressure. In the case of a heel which is clamped upon the heel seat of a shoe the materials of the heel seat gradually become compressed and reduced in thickness as a result of the clamping pressure and when the ordinary rigid clamp is used the yielding of the materials causes a reduction in pressure, sometimes even to the extent that the clamp will fall off the shoe. In the clamp of the present invention the heel and shoe engaging members are connected by a stiff, resilient, shank member which is capable of being deformed slightly by the clamping pressure and reacts to maintain adequate followup pressure upon the work as the work becomes compressed.

The above and other features of improvement provided by the invention will be more readily understood and appreciated from reading the following detailed description of one satisfactory embodiment thereof in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of the entire apparatus;

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Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the clamp with a shoe and heel therein; and

Fig. 3 is a detail View, partly in section, illustrating the means for locking the clamp to the support.

7 one end of a lever 22 the other end of which is pivoted at 24 to a stationary bracket 26 which is aifixed to the table l2 at 28. The center of the lever 22 is connected by a link 30 to a point 32 upon a rocker member 34 which is movable about a stationary pivot 36 in the frame Ill.

The rocker member 34 is actuated by a treadle 38 which is pivoted at 40 in the frame In and is normally elevated by a spring 42. A short forward portion of the rocker member 34 is connected by a yielding front link to the treadle 38. The said front link comprises a rod 44 which is pivoted to the rocker member 34 at 46 and is surrounded by a light compression spring 48 one end of which bears upon a nut 50 threaded upon the rod 44 and the other end of which bears upon a plate 52 secured in a link member 54 which is pivoted to the treadle at 56.

A short rearward extension of the treadle is connected by a rear link to the relatively long rear portion of the rocker member 34. This rear link is also capable of a small amount of yield which, however, is notcomparable to the very considerable yield which the spring 48 will easily permit. The rear link comprises a rod 58 which is pivoted at 68 to the rearward extension of the treadle and is surrounded by a stiff compression spring 62, one end of which bears upon a nut 64 upon the rod 58 and the other end of which bears upon the lower end of a tube 66 in which the upper end of the rod 58 fits loosely.

Integral with or afiixed to the tube 66 is a rack 68 along one edge of which are formed teeth which face upward. This rack is slidable through a block 70 which is pivoted at 12 to the rear end of the rocker member 34, and a pawl 14 is pivotally mounted at 16 in the block in such a position that it is adapted to engage the teeth of the rack 68.

An angularly disposed tail portion 18 of the pawl is pivoted to the lower end of a rod which extends upward through a stationary friction box 82 mounted upon the bracket 26. This friction device controls the engagement and disengagement of the pawl I4 with and from the teeth on the rack 68.

An adjustable stop screw 84, the point of which engages a portion of the frame I8, is threaded through a downward projection upon the rocker member 34 and determines the limit to which the rocker member can swing in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1. A dash pot 86 connected between the treadle 38 and a stationary point 88 on the machine frame prevents a too rapid rise of the treadle when it is released suddenly.

In addition to the support I4 which sustains the clamp and to which the clamp can be locked, the upper portion of the clamp is steadied by a brace 90 extending upward from the frame I6 and having in its free end a fork or opening in which the clamp can engage.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, the clamp comprises a roughly c-shaped stiff, resilient, stationary shank member 92 having through its lower end portion a hole or opening in which the shoe engaging clamp member 94 is vertically movable. A gravity operated locking plate 96 surrounds the stem of the clamp member 94 and the shank member is so formed, as shown at 98, that the locking plate will normally, under the influence of gravity, cramp and lock the stem of the clamp member 94 against downward 'movement. The lock may, however, be readily released by a light upward blow upon the outer end of the plate 96. Lugs I80 projecting laterally from the shank member serve to sustain said member upon the support I4 as shown in Fig. 3 and also to cooperate with hooks I92 which look the clamp to the support I4.

The hooks I82 are pivotally mounted at I84 in the support I4 and are normally thrown outward to inoperative position by springs I66. On the lower portions of the hook members are cam surfaces I98, which lie close to the upper end of the plunger I8 and are so formed that when the plunger is elevated the hooks I92 will be moved inward over the lugs I80 to lock the clamp to the support I4.

The upper end of the shank member 921s U-shaped and carries a substantially stationary heel engaging clamping member III) in which is formed a socket I I2 fitted to the end of the resilient shank member 92. A spring pressed detent II4 normally holds the member III) in position but permits the latter to be detached at will.

A top lift engaging plate I I6 has a hemispherical base H8 which fits in a correspondingly shaped socket in the member IIO forming a ball and socket swivel joint which permits self-adjustment of the top lift plate II6 to any required angle. A pin I29 prevents the top lift plate from falling out of its mounting.

Inasmuch as the clamp will often be used upon high, pitched heels, a pad I22 is provided for engaging and applying downward and forward pressure to the rear of the heel. This pad is mounted upon an inclined stem I24 which is movable up and down through an opening in the member IID but the fit of the parts is such that a small amount of pressure applied to the pad in a direction transverse to the stem will cause the stem to be automatically cramped and locked against movement relative to the member IID. By virtue of this structure the pad I22 can be moved easily to the right position for the particular heel being operated upon and will become immovable as soon as any pressure is brought to bear upon it.

Clamping pressure is exerted upon the shoe and heel by exerting a strong upward thrust upon the lower end of the clamping member 94 while the clamp is locked down to the support I4. The locking plate 96, if undisturbed, would act as a one-way clutch upon the stem of the member 94 permitting the stem to be moved upward but preventing return downward thereof. Inasmuch as it is desirable to be able to move the shoe up and down freely during the preliminary adjustment of the position of the shoe and heel in the clamp, provision is made for rendering the gravity operated lock 96 inoperative until near the end of the upward movement of the plunger I8.

To this end there is provided a controller comprising an upright rod I26 which passes very loosely through a hole in the table I2 and is sustained by a light spring I28, the limit of upward movement of the rod under the influence of the spring being determined by a collar I39 secured to the rod beneath the table. Since the spring I28 is at one side of the rod I26 the spring not only sustains the weight of the rod but exerts a sidewise pull, tending to swing the lower end of the rod outward, toward the front of the machine, and the upper end of the rod inward, toward the clamp support I4. The rod is in that position when the clamp is placed upon the support I4 and the locking plate 96 rests upon the upper end of the rod, rendering the lock inoperative. In order that the lock may automatically become operative after the treadle has been depressed some, distance, the lower end of the rod I26 passes through a slot I32 in an inclined cam plate I34 mounted upon the plate 52, which moves up and down with the front end of the rocker member 34. A collar I36 adjustably secured to the rod I26 is adapted to be engaged by the cam plate I34 and to be moved inward thereby when the treadle is sufficiently depressed, swinging the upper end of the rod I26 out from under the i look 96 and allowing the latter to drop into the operative position in which it is illustrated in Fig. 1.

Before any substantial clamping pressure is applied the shank member 92 has the shape shown in broken lines in Fig. 2. As the clamping pressure is applied and increased the member 92 is deformed to the shape shown in full lines in Fig. 2 and, being strongly stressed, the heel clamping member will, after the shoe engaging member 94 is locked, follow the heel as the heel seat materials yield under the continu ous application of pressure and will maintain adequate pressure upon the work until the lock 96 is released.

The operation of the illustrated apparatus is as follows. The clamp being open, with the lock 96 in inoperative position on top of the rod I26. a shoe and heel are placed in the clamp with the shoe resting upon the clamp member 94 and the treadle is initially depressed to bring the heel up against the top lift plate N6, the pad I22 being adjusted to engage the back of the heel properly.

In the first part of the treadle depression the rocker member 34 is swung about the pivot 36 relatively rapidly by force transmitted from the treadle, through the spring 48, to the short front arm of the rocker member. While this is occuring the rear end of the long 'arm of the rocker member 34 rises through a greater distance than that through which the end of the short front arm descends, and at the same time the lower pivot point 56 of the front link, which pivot point is remote from the treadle fulcrum 40, moves through a greater distance than does the pivot 60 at the lower end of the rear link, which pivot is relatively close to the treadle fulcrum. This results in the block l sliding up on the rack 68. The friction device at 82 causes the pawl 14 to engage the rack teeth as soon as the rear end of the rocker member 34 starts to move up but the pawl can ride over the teeth in an up-- ward direction, although not in the reverse direction.

Very early in the upward movement of the plunger 13, which is connected to the rocker member 34, the plunger engages the hook members I02 causing them to swing inward over the lugs I00 and lock the clamp down to the support [4 after which the plunger engages and exerts an upward thrust upon the stem of the clamping member 94. When substantial resistance to the upward movement of the plunger I8 is met the light spring 48 yields readily and the transmission of force from the treadle to the plunger I8 is transferred to the rear link the member 66 of which is locked in the position!!! by the pawl 14 and the plunger [8 is moved further upward more slowly but much more powerfully by reason of the increased leverage resulting from the short rear arm of the treadle and the long rear arm of the rocker member 34.

When the rocker arm 34 has been turned through a sufficient distance the cam plate 134 will have drawn the lower end of the controller I26 inward sufficiently to have swung its upper end out from under the locking plate 96, allowing the latter to fall into operative position.

When enough clamping pressure has been applied to the work the treadle is released. The rear end of the rocker member 34 immediately starts to descend and, the friction device 12 holding the rod 80, the pawl 14 is disengaged from the rack 68 permitting the block to slide down the rack to its original position thereon. The positions of the parts at this stage are as shown in Fig. 1. The dash pot 86 prevents a too sudden rise of the treadle and the spring 48 expands until the movement of the rocker member 34 is stopped by engagement of the point of the screw 84 with the frame l0.

The clamp with the shoe held in it under pressure may be allowed to remain until the adhesive between the heel and the heel seat has set or, if desired, the clamp and shoe may be removed from the support [4 and another identical clamp placed upon the support ready for a repetition of the above described operation upon another shoe.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. Shoe and heel clamping apparatus comprising a support, a clamp upon said support ha ing opposed, relatively movable shoe and heel engaging members, movable means for exerting a thrust upon one of said members, and mechanism for moving the thrust exerting means first rapidly into engagement with one of the work engaging members and then more slowly and powerfully to cause said member to exert clamping pressure upon the work.

2. Shoe and heel clamping apparatus comprising a support, a removable clamp upon said support, a plunger movable through the support to engage and close the clamp, and means operated by said plunger to lock the clamp to the support.

3. Shoe and heel clamping apparatus comprising a support, a clamp upon said support, a fixed lug upon the clamp, a plunger movable through the support to engage and close the clamp, and a hook member pivoted on the support in position to engage said lug to lock the clamp to the support, a portion of said hook member being in the path of movement of the plunger, whereby the hook is moved into looking position by movement of the plunger.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3, so 'constructed and arranged that the hook member is engaged by the plunger before the plunger engages the clamp, whereby the clamp is locked to the support before the clamp is closed.

5. Shoe and heel clamping apparatus comprising a support, a clamp upon said support having opposed, relatively movable shoe and heel engaging members, an automatic lock for preventing relative separating movement between said members, a movable plunger sustained by the support and arranged to exert a thrust upon one of said members, a movable controller normally positioned to keep said lock inoperative, and mechanism for actuating said plunger and simultaneously moving the controller to render the lock operative.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5, constructed and arranged to render the lock operative only near the end of the movement of the plunger.

7. A shoe and heel clamp comprising co-operating relatively movable clamping members arranged in opposed relation to clamp a heel upon the heel seat of a shoe, a stiif, resilient C-shaped shank member to one end of which one of the clamping members is aifixed and through the other end of which the other clamping member is movable, and means for locking the lastnamed clamping member to the shank member, said shank member being deformable by clamping pressure and reacting to maintain adequate follow-up pressure upon the work as the Work becomes reduced in thickness under continued pressure.

8. A shoe and a heel clamp comprising a stationary member comprising a stiff, resilient, stationary shank member, a clamping member affixed thereto and adapted to engage a heel upon a shoe, a movable member adapted to engage the shoe and provided with a stem which projects through a hole in said stationary member, and a gravity operated lock sustained by the stationary member and acting upon the stem of the movable member.

FRANCIS L. BRANDT. 

